The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-08-10
A CURIOUS CASE.
An Interesting Story from a
Lawyers Diary.

Lawyer . AldIy.
During the last week of September,
1870, young man, giving his name
as Charles Bracket, called upon me
in great trouble. He asked me if
had private room. I arose at once.
led the way to my consultation closet,
closed the door and turned the key in
the lock. ! pointed him to the sofa,
taking my own seat at the table.
Now" said l. "what is it, young
manp"
He started and caught his breath;
and as he began to speak, made up
my mind that let the case be what ii
would, he was not guilty party. He
was too fearful, too broken-spirited
and unhappy, for criminal. The
case, as he presented it, was as fol-
lows:
He was employed as book-keeper.
and at times acted as cashier, in the
wholesale establishment of Arnold,
Merriam & Co. For considerable
time money had been missing from
the funds of the firm, and at length
suspicion had fallen upon himself.
Said he:
Il am situated peculiarly. My moth.
er is an invalid; and l have two SIS
ters--young ladies. We four live to.
gether. My father died when I was
only twelve. One of my sisters has
to remain at home to take care of the
house and to take care of mother; the
other-two years younger than my.
self-gives music lessons when she car
get pupils. Our little house our ather
left with a mortgage on it of fifteen
hundred dollars, which has remained
ever since, until little more than four
weeks ago. when we paid itoff."
There he stopped, hesitated, and
choked.
How did you raise the money for
that'" asked, quietly.
Must ! tell you, sir?" he returned,
imploringly.
"Do you want me to defend youp''
"Yes, sir!" he answered, quickly.
II was sent to you by-by man who
said you would help me-"
"Then," l told him, you had Mt-
ter trust me. If you do not"
There he interrupted me by asking
III would keep it secret. l told him
he must trust me fully. I would do
what was best; and of that he must
leave me to Judge. And after a little
further hesitation he told me.
A young gentleman, whose parents
were wealthy. and who was himself
well-of, had loved the music teaching
sister, Bella, along time; and they
were to be married during the coming
fall, and go at once to Europe. The
young man was very anxious that his
parents should not know, as they had
other plans for his future. He
Bella's affianced-had furnished the
money for paying off the mortgage,
and, also, for repairing the house; and
he had made them all promise not to
speak his name in connection with it.
l suspected at once who the man
was. He was q member of the same
club with myself, and several of us
had felt sure that he contemplated
matrimony, SUD rosa. So I looked at
my visitor smilingly, and said:
ut is Albert Christopher"
who told youp" he cried, in won
der
Never mind" said /, $50 long as
you did not. And Christopher sent
you to mep'
Eyes. SIR"
"All right. Now go on and tell me
what has been done"
1t appeared, from his further story.
that Mr.. Merriam had for several
weeks suspected him, and when it had
become known that the mortgage had
been paid of, and when Bracket
would not tell where the money had
come from, but instead thereof trem-
bled and turned pale, then the sus-
picions became confirmed, or very
nearly so.
1.-Two weeks ago." the young man
went on. "Mr. Merriam gave me
package containing FIVE hundred dol
lars, and told me to carry it into
Winthrop Sturgis' counting-room, and
ask them to forward it to Colonel Wal
ter Pennington, at Joliet Ill. Colonel
Pennington was in business therein
Joliet-and corresponded with both
our houses. We had wool of him.
Perhaps you know, sir, Sturgis is in
the same line that we are in. Well.
Sturgis had told our folks that he was
going to make remittance to the
Colonel, and offered to take the sum
they wished to forward and cover it in
his check.
II carried the money to Sturgis'
place, and in the counting-room found
only his head book-keeper, Damon
Wadleigh, at his desk. 1t was some
where between one and two o'clock. II
gave the money to Wadleigh. and he
opened the package-it was sealed
and counted it-iust five hundred dol